Bitter Waters
Notes
Transcript
Bitter Waters
Exodus 15:22-27
Last week we saw Israel at their best. They were praising God.
God had saved them from the Egyptians.
They believed in the Lord, and they believed in Moses (14:31).
They believed the Lord was leading them to the Promised Land (13) and they would safely arrive. Today we are going to see that things change quickly. Let’s consider four lessons we learn from the bitter waters at Marah.
1. You can’t stand still after God saves you (15:22).
Moses made Israel “set out”
They probably wanted to sit down.
Sit by the Red Sea and keep singing.
“Let’s sing another one Moses!”
Like a Gaither Homecoming Camp Meeting
They might reason:
This is where God saved us!
We are safe!
This is a beautiful place (shores of the Red Sea)
Let me give you two reasons they could not sit still:
1) They needed to mature in the Lord.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could stay in the crib after we are born again?
Be pampered
Be petted
Israel would not mature in their faith sitting by the Red Sea.
The Lord will do a great work in their lives in the wilderness.
That’s where Moses led them.
They didn’t walk down the shore picking up seashells like they were on vacation.
Summer break is over for them. It’s time to go to school.
Now it’s time to learn to live for God.
2) They had work to do.
God has a purpose for them to be a light to the Gentiles.
Build a nation
Be a holy people
Proclaim the Word of God
The Gentiles are to see this glorious holy nation and come to faith in their God. That is God’s purpose for them.
What is the purpose of the Christian?
God saves you.
God tells you to go- Great Commission
God tells you to grow in your faith- As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby.
We’re not to stand by our baptismal waters and sing to the Lord forever.
God tells us to set out!
Illustration: Jesus ascending to heaven. Disciples just staring in the air. Two angels said “Why stand ye here gazing? This same Jesus is coming back.”
When He comes back two things matter:
How much you have grown in your faith.
What you have done for Christ.
This is our time to grow.
This is our time to go.
Are you growing?
Are you going?
2. Disappointment is part of our journey (22-24).
Notice where the Lord is leading them: Into the wilderness. It was a desert.
Hard traveling
Hot traveling
I imagine they started off pretty good.
That first day they were probably still singing.
That second day some of them were probably still singing.
That third day everything changed.
“three days in the wilderness and they found no water.”
A legitimate need. They were thirsty.
They were looking for water.
Why didn’t the Lord just give them water? Why did He even let them get thirsty?
God will keep things from us to show us what is in us.
Why can’t life be perfect?
Perfect health
Perfect relationships
Perfect home
We never see who we are until we don’t get our way. When we get our way of course we are happy.
It’s when we are thirsty that we see our faults.
Hangry illustration.
The truth is you can’t blame your attitude on your hunger.
Three days without water. They came to Marah.
There is a water source there.
Imagine how happy they were.
When they tasted the water, it was bitter.
Brackish, salty water. Could not be drunk. Dangerous to drink.
They thought things were going to get better and they didn’t.
Life is filled with disappointments. We have an idea of how something is going to happen, and it doesn’t work out.
Illustration: Thinking all week about a certain fishing spot. Get up on your only day to fish and when you get there somebody is fishing it.
When that happens, you can:
Get mad at the person fishing in it.
You can go home and quit fishing.
Or say, “Lord you have different plans for me today.”
Listen to me:
If our plans aren’t the Lord’s plans the Lord will ruin our plans.
The people grumbled against Moses.
Poor fellow. It wasn’t his fault.
The Lord was leading them. Moses was following the Lord.
Why did the Lord lead them there.
He led them there to disappoint them. Their disappointment was a test.
Look how quickly they went from singing to sinning.
The question “What shall we drink?”
Nothing wrong with the question. It was a legitimate question. It was the way they asked it. They grumbled against Moses as they asked it.
They were mad.
You can do the right thing in the wrong way. When you do it is a sin.
Life is going to be bitter sometimes. When it is we have no excuse to sin.
Jesus was tested in the wilderness for forty days:
He was hungry
He had the devil on His back
If life wasn’t easy for Him, why should we think it will be for us?
Protection from the plagues was not enough to keep Israel from grumbling.
Sparing their firstborn was not enough to keep them from grumbling.
Splitting the Red Sea was not enough to keep them from grumbling.
Destroying the Egyptian army was not enough to keep them from grumbling.
Jesus has already done enough for us to keep us from grumbling.
God is taking us through the wilderness on our way to the Promised Land.
Wilderness living isn’t easy. When you know where you are going it makes it all worth it.
3. God can sweeten what is bitter (25).
Moses cried to the Lord.
You are going to see that a lot. The people of God make the man of God cry. He does what they should have done. He prays.
They’d rather pout than pray.
They’d rather grumble than be humble.
Grumblers have no plans. All they have is problems.
When life is bitter go to the Lord.
They could have prayed for themselves.
They could have prayed for Moses.
Moses appears to be the only one crying and the only one praying.
God shows him something.
A log. A fallen tree. It was an odd thing. The Lord tells him to throw this fallen tree into the water.
Attempts have been made to say it was a certain type of tree that would cleanse the water. There’s nothing out there that could do that, especially for as much water as they needed.
This was a miracle. The tree was a symbol.
Moses obeyed. He threw the tree into the water.
When he did the water became sweet. In other words, it was no longer salty. It was drinkable.
God warns them afterward (23-26). Obedience is necessary. If they don’t obey, they could expect to be treated in the way the Egyptians were.
In this instance God gave them grace.
There is a beautiful picture here for the Christian.
There is a tree for us.
It turns what is bitter into something sweet.
On the cross Jesus suffered, bled, and died for us.
In the cross we find our salvation.
In the cross we find comfort.
When we plunge the cross into the bitterness of our lives the bitterness is replaced with sweetness.
We can sing by the bitter waters of Marah just like we can sing by the Red Sea.
Illustration: Paul and Silas in prison (Acts 16:25).
When they sang during a bitter time of their lives:
They were set free.
Their enemy became their friend (jailer).
The Lord showed Moses a tree.
Sometimes He has to remind us that there is a tree!
Life is bitter Lord!
Life is hard Lord!
Life stinks Lord!
There is a tree!
We look to the cross to be saved.
We also look to the cross to be encouraged.
Was the cross bitter for Jesus?
Did He complain?
Did He grumble?
Did He lay blame?
It is an interesting thing that as Christians we can sing at funerals.
A bitter day.
A day of death.
A day of sadness
Yet at virtually every Christian funeral there is singing.
How can we do that?
The tree! The cross!
The cross sweetens all bitter waters.
4. God will lead us to refreshing experiences on this earth (27).
The wilderness of this world is not always difficult.
Next God led them to Elim.
Twelve springs of water.
70 palm trees.
Hydration and shade.
Again, we see them camping by the water.
God gives them what they don’t deserve. They just failed a test. God, in His goodness, blesses them.
There are times we are so overcome we look at our life and ask “How did I get here?”
Hurt
Confusion
Loss
Then there are times we are overcome with the goodness of God. We look at where we are and ask the same question “How did I get here?”
God will lead us to places of refreshment.
Israel has gone from mountain top to mountain top.
From the shores of the Red Sea to the waters and shade of Elim.
When God gives you shade make sure you enjoy it.
When God gives you cools springs make sure you enjoy them.
There’s always another mountain top experience ahead. But to get from mountain top to mountain top you must travel through the valley.
I remember climbing the mountains in Haiti. It was hard.
Sweat
Muscles straining
Thirst
When you got to the top you wanted to take a break.
A beautiful view
A needed rest
When God gives you:
Ease
Rest
Abundance
Peace
Reward
Take the time to enjoy it. Camp by the waters of Elim for a while.
Thank God for His goodness.
Have you ever needed something badly and the Lord gave you exactly what you needed?
Maybe it was a kind word.
Maybe it was a new friendship.
Maybe it was a little extra money.
God knew just what you needed, and He knew just when you needed it.
The Lord has many springs and palm trees for us.
We don’t have to be reminded to grumble when the waters are bitter. We shouldn’t have to be reminded to praise God when He gives us shade and refreshing water.
I’m reminded of the 23 Psalm:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.